title: Change of selenium in environment and risk of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: a retrospective cohort study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Scoliosis is the disease which has a long history over one century. However, the pathogenesis remains unclear at present. To demonstrate the effect of different selenium content in environment on the morbidity of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective cohort study (follow-up from 1997 to 2009): compare the difference morbidity between high selenium group and the normal selenium group of AIS.
  
  
  METHODS
  9998 cases from three areas in China were participated in this study. There is different selenium content in these three areas.
  
  
  RESULTS
  High selenium levels were significant associated with the AIS morbidity. While low selenium level had no significant correlation with the AIS morbidity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study confirmed that high selenium content in the environment was one of risk factors for idiopathic scoliosis. We speculated that the excessive growth of the spine and the spinal cord asynchronous growth effect were key factors that high selenium content in the environment leads to scoliosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China. jixinran@gmail.com.
authors.forename: X R
authors.initials: XR
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.forename: Z D
authors.initials: ZD
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: X H
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: D D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Ni
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012600:Scoliosis / Q000139:chemically induced*; D012643:Selenium / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D012643:Selenium